


Quiet Afternoon Crush

by mochasheep



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/F, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-06-13 09:29:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15361458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochasheep/pseuds/mochasheep
Summary: Yoshiko sat up to get a better look at her. She was… pretty. Really pretty. Her grey hair was long and straight, ending around her lower back. She stood tall with a sense of confidence that Yoshiko couldn't help but admire. Even in the uniform she seemed to stand out. Grey eyes surveyed the class with an almost blank look, or was it observant? Satoko’s eyes locked with Yoshiko’s. Yoshiko tried to smile, but was stuck looking star-struck.________________________________________________________Yoshiko navigates her friendship with Satoko, while coming to realize her love for the girl goes beyond friendly affection.





	1. First Sight

“Alright! Listen up, you lazy good-for-nothings! I have news, so you better listen for once in your miserable lives,” King Moron was already exhausting Yoshiko and the day barely started. He couldn’t seem to go one day without starting it off with an insult. She could just put her headphones on and tune him out, but he seemed more irritable today, and like hell she’d be on the receiving end of his wrath.

“Our class is going to have a new transfer student today. Apparently she’s from the city. Great,” he groaned, “Another city brat coming to Inaba and ruining our town.” Morooka looked amongst the class and looked dead at Yoshiko before continuing his announcement. She didn’t know if it was paranoia, but Yoshiko felt that comment was directed at her and solely her. With his whole stigma against city kids, it wasn’t too much of stretch. Didn’t help that some of her classmates started glaring at her directly. Yoshiko pushed herself more into her seat to avoid their eyes.

As the class began to gossip over the transfer student and who she could be, some hoping for an idol or celebrity, Morooka let out an annoyed grunt and motioned for the door to open. The front classroom door slid open and the murmurs were silenced upon the appearance of the new transfer.  
“My name is Seta Satoko. I hope we get along this year,” her voice was so mature and refined. She wasn't smiling, mouth set in a straight line. The greeting seemed so perfect, lacking a stammer or second to hesitate, as if she’s practiced it or said it became a habit. Yoshiko stared in awe at Satoko. She hasn’t exactly seen anyone like that since moving to Inaba, so seeing it was kinda a treat in a weird way. 

“Wow, she’s so pretty.”

“Think she has a boyfriend?”

“How’d she dye her hair the neatly?”

“ **Quit your yabbering!** ” Morooka silenced the class’s fawn and turned into quiet murmurs again. “Not even here 10 minutes and they’re already gossiping…” Yoshiko thought. Inaba was notorious for being filled with gossips, and Yasogami definitely wasn’t excluded from this fact. Yoshiko felt sympathy for her. It was only a matter of time before they turn on Satoko like how they turned on her.

Yoshiko sat up to get a better look at her. She was… pretty. Really pretty. Her grey hair was long and straight, ending around her lower back. She stood tall with a sense of confidence that Yoshiko couldn't help but admire. Even in the uniform she seemed to stand out. Grey eyes surveyed the class with an almost blank look, or was it observant? Satoko’s eyes locked with Yoshiko’s. Yoshiko tried to smile, but was stuck looking star-struck. 

“Alright, Seta, enough with the entrance,” Morooka’s grating voice shook Yoshiko out of her brief reverie. Satoko looked over at him confused, “Just because you’re from the city doesn’t mean we’re going to stop class over you. There’s an open seat in front of Hanamura.” He pointed to her. Satoko had a brief flicker of a smile before dropping it upon hearing Morooka’s sneer, “She’s a city brat like you.”

“Who are you calling a ‘brat’?” Satoko questioned, looking the teacher in the eye. The class hushed over in admiration and astonishment at her bold words as she made way towards her seat, not even giving Morooka a chance to respond. Satoko took her seat in front of Yoshiko, and briefly glanced at her as she pushed hair out of her face. Satoko turned to fact forward again, and left Yoshiko speechless.

Who was Satoko?


	2. Accidental Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A less than stellar official meeting, but a meeting nonetheless with potential for more.

At this rate she was definitely going to be late. The school is still several blocks away and she wasn’t exactly making tracks. Not on her bike anyways. One to many crashes left it more damaged than she thought...

Yoshiko sighed as she rode the unstable thing the rest of the way. She knew it had to be replaced, clearly sooner rather than later, so she’s been trying to work more hours at Junes, but that led to her current problem… In the eyes of her manager, willing to work extra hours means having to work anyone’s hours, no matter what. Yoshiko ended up being the one called on whenever someone had to call in sick. It was draining to say the least.

Last night was especially hard. Some of the new “part-timer workers” decided to skip without telling anyone, and it fell on Yoshiko to work one of the girls’ shift, which lead to working both, even thought it was supposed to be her day off. Customers were more impatient than usual, stacking boxes and products dragged on. Truthfully, she didn’t get home till around 10 or so. Yoshiko was exhausted to say the least. She was so tired that she slept in and missed her alarm clock going off. It wouldn’t have been so bad if her bike was in a better state. She could have already be at Yasogami by now.

Yoshiko swerved through the dwindling crowd of students, her bike squeaking with protest at the extra moment going through it, and tried to hurry her pedaling. Yoshiko ignored the way her bike creaked and focused on the path.  
“Alright, just turn here and it’s a few more blocks,” she murmured to herself, as she continued her pace. Sharply turning left, Yoshiko was feeling optimistic. She was doing alright, she could make it!

...Until her handlebars got stuck on the left turn.

The first thing Yoshiko felt was a painful throb on her head and the darkness surrounding her. “H-help. Anyone?” she called out, thought it was muted by whatever was surrounding her. It took her a second to register where she was. 

...Of course it was a garbage can, and of course it smelled like week old meat and other things she doesn’t want to think about. It was emptied out at least, not that it made her situation significantly better.

Yoshiko didn’t have time for this. Both her hands were packed tightly against her, but with enough exertion, she was able to squeeze one hand out and pushed against the inner bottom of the trash can. She pushed and pushed to free herself, but she was firmly stuck in the metal bin. Calling for help seemed useless as the garbage created nothing more than an echo that was loud to her, but muted to those walking past. 

Yoshiko began to thrash with harsher movements till she felt hands grab her ankles. The hands adjusted their grip and pulled her out of the garbage can in one hard pull. The peaks of the sun shining through blinded her briefly before she was all the way out. Sitting up to wipe the remnants of any dirt and sunlight out of her eyes, Yoshiko gave a small, appreciative smile, “Thanks. I thought I was going to be in there for awhile.”

Regaining her composure, Yoshiko opened her eyes and stifled the small gasp that threatened to come out. Of all people to save her, why did it have to be her? This really wasn’t how she wanted to make a first impression

“Are you okay?” Concern was evident in her voice. She was frowning and Yoshiko could see her looking over her for an sign of injury or cuts.

Yoshiko covered up her embarrassment with her signature smile, “Yeah, I’m fine. This happens a lot. N-not that often though!” Yoshiko quickly reassured Satoko as her face became distressed at the admission, “Thanks again.” Satoko’s worried frown turned into a small smile, relief flashing across her face, “You’re the transfer student right? Seta Satoko? I’m Hanamura Yoshiko, I sit behind you.” 

“I knew you looked familiar. You’re the other ‘city brat.’” They both laughed a bit at insult. Calming themselves down, Yoshiko smoothed out her skirt, only to cringe when she felt something grimy touch her hand. She looked down and her uniform and cursed under her breath, “Well this sucks.” Yoshiko stood up, followed by Satoko, “So much for a good day.” 

“You can’t go home and change?” Satoko asked. Yoshiko shrugged, “Can’t. I’m too far away and I’m already going to be late,” If they weren't late already… Seriously what time is it? “You can change at my house.”  
What

“What?”  
Satoko looked off to the side rather than straightforward at her, “My house is closer, so if we hurry, you could have time to clean up and wash. I might have a uniform that can fit you.”

Yoshiko blinked, “No, it’s fine. I don’t want to cause you to be late cause you’re dealing with me.” It was only Satoko’s second day, so she couldn't afford to have teacher on her back about attendance. Besides: Why go out the way for her, anyways? She’s no one special. Satoko shook her head and looked at her with a insistent look. 

“It’s fine. I don’t want you to have a hard time with anyone because of an accident.”

Well this was different reaction than normal. All the other times she’s crashed, it was rare to even have someone look at her, let alone offer her help, and frankly her other option of going to school smelling like trash wasn’t exactly pleasant. Whatever. She rather deal with being yelled about for one thing than two things. Picking up her bike, Yoshiko smiled in earnest at Satoko. Satoko grabbed the other side of the bike and returned the smile with a small grin. 

“Lead the way, Seta-san,” she said.  
“It’s not too far.” She was quiet for a moment, “You can call me Satoko if you want.”  
“Really? Alright, but only if you call me Yoshiko.”  
“Okay, Yoshiko.”  
Her laugh made Yoshiko flustered. That was new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Satoko and Yoshiko are now officially acquainted with each other, so longer chapters are to be expected.  
> I was kinda worried that they were on first names basis a bit too fast, but for the life of me I can't remember if Yosuke ever once referred to Souji by his last name in canon, and Souji is the same so. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	3. Saki-Senpai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best way to return a favor always involves food. It's even better if you run into your favorite people.

They made it in time for the beginning of 2nd period. Through sheer luck (or coincidence, as Yoshiko looked at it) they managed to sneak in before their teacher walked in. She noticed nothing, greeted the class, and began the lesson. Yoshiko let out a quiet sigh at the all-clear and relaxed. 

Satoko pulled out notebook and began to focus on the teach, but Yoshiko couldn’t. Not fully anyways. She was distracted. The whole morning was a whirlwind of events. First she’s crashing into a trash can, and next the transfer student, whom she barely even met, took the time to help her. But what threw her was the fact that she didn’t ask for anything. It felt so… genuine.

Genuinely nice.

Satoko helped her out, just because she could. It wasn’t even about the garbage can, but the extra mile of letting her borrow her uniform. Yoshiko rested her face against her left palm and continued to look forward, observing less and less of the lesson and more off the back of the grey-haired girl’s head. 

Maybe she was overthinking this.Sure, she helped her out and let’s her call her by her first names, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. For all Yoshiko knows, Satoko was like this with everybody, she couldn’t be the only one. Still, Satoko did help her out, and she deserves some form of thanks. It’s the least she could do, all things considered.

“Hanamura-san, I’d appreciate if you’d look, and listen please,” Yoshiko blinked at the sound of her name, only to realize the class had eyes on her, Satoko included who looked sympathetic.

“Y-yes, ma'am…” She paid attention the rest of class, writing a note or two, but her mind was set on her plan. 

The final bell ringing signaled the end of the day. Students immediately began to file out and leave while a few remained to either talk or waste time. Yoshiko pulled her orange headphones out of her bag and placed them again around her neck. She missed the comfort of them hanging around and spending hours without them always made her uncomfortable. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Satoko talking to Chie Satonaka and Yukiko Amagi. Yoshiko never really spoke to either of them like that, and when she did it never really went anywhere, but it was probably rude to invite someone somewhere in front of others and not invite them. There was also the fact that Yoshiko was trying to avoid Satonaka for awhile due to certain incident that involved breaking her favorite kung fu dvd. It was an accident, but still.

Yoshiko swallowed the gross feeling of anxiousness and made her way towards the group. Chie was the first to notice her, “Oh, hey Hanamura.” Yukiko gave a polite nod as a form of greeting and Satoko smiled at her. Yoshiko ignored the feeling the sight of Satoko’s smile gave her and focused on why she was over here in the first place. 

“Hey Chie, Yukiko. Um… Satoko, I just want to say thanks again.” Yukiko and Chie looked at each other in confusion for a second before turning to the two girls.

Satoko shrugged, “Oh. It’s fine, really. I couldn’t just leave you there.” Yoshiko looked to the ground to avoid looking Satoko in the eye. “Can you I ask you something?”

“If it’s about my uniform, you can just wash it and give it back tomorrow.”

“No, not that! I mean that’s good to know, but that’s not it. I want to thank you for helping me, so I want to treat you,” Yoshiko smiled her signature smile, “Inaba serves some pretty good steak for cheap, so I want to buy you some.”

“Steak?”

“Steak?” Yoshiko ignored the outburst she heard behind her.

“Yeah, as my way of thanking you. And before you interrupt, I insist. I have just enough, and I really to repay you. It’s the least I can do.”

“I guess I can’t, can I Yoshiko?” 

“Hold on a sec!” 

Yoshiko flinched a bit a the new voice. She forgot that it wasn’t just her and Satoko in the class. Satoko and her turned to look to see the the source of the complaint. Chie was standing tall, hands on her hips and half-glaring, half-pouting. She stared directly at Yoshiko, causing a shiver of fear to go down her spine.

“You know, Hanamura, you still owe me for my DVD. My “Trial of the Dragon?” Which you broke. Remember?”

Truthfully, Yoshiko did forget for a moment, but she did intend on paying her back. “I’ll be able to pay you back, Chie, don’t worry.”

“There’s another way to pay me back: you treat us to some steak, and I’ll call it even.”

“I don’t have enough for everyone!” Inaba steaks may have been cheap, but not that cheap! Hell, she barely had enough for Satoko. Truthfully, she was using the last of her money on her. 

“Hey, Yukiko, want to come with?” She completely ignored her.

“I can’t. I don’t want to gain anymore weight, and besides I have to help out again today. It’s busy this time of year.”

“Oh, okay,” Chie said, and turned to face Yoshiko with a big smile, “Alright, Yoshiko, looks like you’re just treating Satoko-chan and me.”

Yoshiko could see the way Satoko was frowning, but pretended she didn’t notice. This wasn’t… entirely fine, but as long as Satoko could get repaid, she’ll grin and bear it.

++  
“Junes? Seriously? Did we have to come here?” 

“I told you I didn’t have much on me.” Yoshiko folded her arms and tried to keep a calm expression. This was far from how she wanted to spend her afternoon.

“They don’t even have grilled steak!” Chie exclaimed, as if it some great travesty.

Yoshiko huffed, “That’s not my fault, I had to change my plans because things got complicated.” 

“We could’ve gone to Aiya’s then,” Chie argued, “We didn’t have to go to your place.”

Yoshiko was about to rebuttal when she heard a, “You’re place?” coming from Satoko. Satoko looked at her with a look of confusion.   
“Yeah, my place,” Yoshiko answered before Chie could say anything, “I actually moved here a few months ago from the city. My dad was a manager at a Junes there, and he ended up getting promoted. He had to come to the one they were building here, so we moved to Inaba."

Satoko seemed somewhat content with the explanation, “It’s not actually my place though. My dad may be the manager, but I work here on the same level as everyone else.” Though going by how she was treated by her co-workers, it would be hard to see that fact.

Chie took a sip of her soda, “Junes really changed the town. A lot of people started going to June’s, so the shopping district hasn’t had as much business as before. Some stores had to close.” Chie held a brief look of melancholy and took another sip. Yoshiko felt the familiar sting of guilt at Chie’s words. It wasn’t the first time Yoshiko heard someone vent about June’s, or her, ruining the shopping district and family businesses. Usually the accusations were filled with fury from a personal standpoint, but to hear it come from someone with a more saddened view on it added to the layer

“I’m taking my break.” Yoshiko’s head turned at the sound of a familiar voice calling out to someone. Familiar blonde, curly hair took a seat at the farthest corner of the food court and relaxed in her seat. 

“Oh, Saki-senpai is here.” Yoshiko said, failing to hide the joy in her voice. “I’ll be right back.”   
Standing up, Yoshiko made her way over towards her senpai. She could briefly hear a “Who’s Saki-senpai?” behind her, but kept moving forward. 

Yoshiko didn’t know why, but seeing Saki-senpai always gave her a feeling of lightness and happiness, even if all they did was wave at each other. Saki acknowledging her at each at school was kinda a rarity, unfortunately, but Yoshiko always valued seeing her at Junes.

“Hey Saki-senpai,” Yoshiko greeted her. Saki gave a tired smile, “Hey Hana-chan. Bringing your friends here to help boost the family business?”   
Yoshiko nervously laughed a bit, “Yeah, I had a favor to repay and things got a bit complicated, so we ended up coming here.”

Saki flippantly waved her hand, “It’s fine, I’m just messing with you. Nice to see you hanging out with others now.” Yoshiko let out another nervous laugh this time smaller. 

Saki wasn’t entirely wrong, seeing as how for a good couple of months, Yoshiko didn’t really hang out with anyone. Except Saki. For awhile, they were close enough that she met her younger brother , Naoki, in passing. 

The older girl stretched, letting out an audible groan, and frowned, “Why did I leave early…?” Yoshiko heard her murmur. Yoshiko smile disappeared and was replaced with a concern line on her face, “Are you okay, senpai?” 

“Hm? Oh I fine, don’t worry. I’m just tired is all.”

“Okay… You know, senpai, if you need to talk to someone, I’m always here,” Yoshiko knew she sounded a bit immature, possibly simplifying her problems to a simple “talk-it-out,” but Saki-senpai had to know that she was here for her.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Saki replied, “But, really, I’m fine.”

The two were in a brief silence. Yoshiko could tell the atmosphere between them tittered on content and yet filled with an unsaid tension. It felt like there was more Yoshiko could, or should say, but couldn’t piece the words together. She didn’t feel prepared to handle it, not yet anyways.

“So who did you have to repay this time?” 

The sound of her voice thankfully brought Yoshiko out of her thoughts, “Ha, when say you say it like that, it makes it seem like I have to do it often,” she joked, “Her name’s Satoko Seta. She’s the new transfer in my class.”

Saki looked behind her and raised an eyebrow, “Is that her over there?” Yoshiko glanced behind her and saw her looking right at Satoko, who seemed to be having a conversation with Chie. “Yeah that’s her. She’s kinda nice, she really saved my life this morning.”

Saki hummed and stood up, “I hope you don’t mind if I meet your lifesaver then.” Before Yoshiko could respond, Saki began to head towards the table. Yoshiko followed after.

“So, your the new transfer student?” Saki asked, “According to Hana-chan, you really saved her.”

Yoshiko could feel herself become flustered a bit. She tried to motion Saki to stop, but the blonde didn’t seem to notice.

Satoko didn’t seem bothered, in fact she smiled back at Saki.  
“Hopefully she didn’t bother you too much. Hana-chan can be a bit too much, sometimes. Even nosy sometimes,” Saki said.

“I think she’s nice,” Satoko replied. Yoshiko had to hold back a laugh at how sincere Satoko sounded. Saki seemed to find something funny about it., “Haha, I’m kidding,” She turned to take a look at a clock on the wall and sighed. 

“Well, my break is just about over. See ya,” she left quickly, barely giving time for Yoshiko to say goodbye. Yoshiko sat back in her seat and tried not to look dejected, failing miserably.

“You seem really close with Konishi-senpai,” Yoshiko heard Satoko say. Yoshiko looked up and shrugged her shoulders. “I kinda became friends with her before she started working here. She was one of the first people I talked to when I moved here.”

“You must like her enough to let her use a nickname with you,” Chie raised an eyebrow and had a smirk on her face. Yoshiko rolled her eyes. Of course she liked Saki-senpai, but not how Chie was insinuating. Yoshiko just admired her, is all. The fact that she let’s Saki-senpai use a nickname for her didn’t mean much beyond feeling comfortable with her,

“I’m going to stop you right there, Chie. Whatever you’re trying to imply isn’t true.”

“Alright, alright I’ll stop. But, speaking of liking people, there’s this rumor I’ve heard. Every heard of the Midnight Channel?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took awhile, but I'm pretty content with it.  
> I really like writing dialogue for Saki. She always seemed to have this teasing edge to her but also kinda upset/bitter tone in her voice.  
> Yoshiko's "admiration" for Saki was also kinda cute to write as well. ;; v ;;


	4. Meeting Your Soulmate at Midnight

Yoshiko was going to kill Chie tomorrow. It was near midnight, she still had school tomorrow, and yet here she was, wide awake listening to the rain outside and the hum of her TV. The “Midnight Channel,” as Chie dubbed it, just so happened to only be on at midnight. So Yoshiko was stuck sitting in her room in the dark. Another glance at the alarm clock on her desk. It blinked 11:58 in bright blue. 

2 minutes away till the Midnight Channel comes on.

This felt like the definition of a lost cause. It’s not like there was anyone in Inaba she was praying, hands and knees, for. For the most part, a lot of the guys she’s come across were as appealing as falling headfirst into a trash can, and they guys that were decent, like Kou and Daisuke, she wasn’t that dead set on dating…  
Yoshiko cringed at the thought her soulmate was someone far away from Inaba. Imagine knowing who you’re destined to be with and then have no idea who or where they are. Was there a limit on how far away her soulmate could live?

What if her soulmate wasn’t a guy-

The sudden scratchy static of her TV shook Yoshiko from her thoughts. She searched around for her remote and looked back up at her now turned on tv. It flickered a few times, a figure she could barely make out appearing between each half-second of clarity. Yoshiko stood up and walked closer to her screen, feeling pulled toward it and hoping to get a better view. At best, Yoshiko could get a closer view of the figure through the muted yellow screen, but not by much. 

The flashing between static and yellow background was jarring. The screen wasn’t even that saturated, but it felt like she was staring at a bright yellow blur that was blinding her senses with only flashes of clarity. As Yoshiko focused more on the figure in the center, a sensation of doom filled a pit in her stomach.

“Saki-senpai?”

Turning away, Yoshiko’s mind was going a mile a minute. So, Chie was right, and, was even more alarming, Saki-senpai was her soulmate, but there's no way. There’s no way that was Saki-senpai, right? Was she her soulmate? No, no it couldn’t be. Yoshiko didn’t see her that way. Most importantly, how was she on the screen like this and why did she look so scared?

Yoshiko stopped mid mental freakout to take another glance at the figure. Suddenly, the screen shut off, leaving Yoshiko alone in the dark. The only noise in her room came from the loud thunder outside and her thoughts racing as she tried to process what she saw. 

What was that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the Midnight Channel has been introduced now. Hooray... ;;;  
> I'm so sorry for the late update and thank you for reading it. School has been taking up a'lot of my focus due to it being a big priority, so I've haven't had the time to sit down and focus on editing my chapters.  
> Hopefully the next chapter should be out soon, ;;;


	5. A Body has Been Discovered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The squeak of the microphone brought silence over the auditorium. Everyone’s attention turned to the stage. The vice principal’s eyes scanned the crowd of students. Yoshiko wasn’t entirely sure, but she could see hidden emotion in her eyes, but she couldn’t recognize. It was close tension. Giving the stage to the principle, he stepped up to the podium. His face was sickly pale, “I…” he took a breath, “I regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you. One of our third-year students, Ms. Saki Konishi of Class 3… has passed away.”

The walk to school was dreary, rainy, and grey.  
It matched perfectly with how Yoshiko was feeling at the moment. Around her students buzzed with noise, talking and gossiping about this and that, but Yoshiko was too distracted to fully pay attention to them. Everything she’s learned over the past couple of days weighted heavily on her mind.  
After witnessing who she can only assume was Saki-senpai on the tv, she got pulled into the TV at Junes and became privy to this whole new side of the world she never even knew about. 

There’s a whole word inside the TV. Or a world you access through the TV? Is the TV just a door, and by that logic could any TV work? Satoko claimed her arm was getting sucked into her TV, but would she have landed in the same spot as they did when they went through TV in Junes? Then there was that bear… thing talking about “disturbances” going on in his world. Yoshiko definitely needed a moment to sit and rationalize it all. It was too much in too little time, she could feel a headache coming on.

“Hey!” Yoshiko jumped a bit the sudden loud sound before relaxing when she realized who it was. She turned and saw Chie jog up to her and stopped at her side. Even if her voice was normal, Chie had an uneasy look on her face and a shaky smile. “Hey, Yoshiko… Um, what’s up?” Her attempt at being casual was fooling neither of them.

“Thinking about the TV world too, huh?” she asked. Chie furrowed her brows and grimaced “Yeah, it’s like permanently stuck in my brain. I just keep thinking about it... Are we just supposed to just forget all of that?” Yoshiko shrugged and pulled back a piece of her brunette hair that escaped from her short ponytail, “No idea, but, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, I really just want to get to school to forget about it for awhile.” 

Chie nodded in agreement and the two continued their walk in silence, preferring the comfort of silence rather than forced small talk. As they approached the school gate, they were surprised to see the vice principal standing there with a megaphone in her hand. “Everyone, please head to the auditorium for an important announcement. I repeat, please head to the auditorium for an important announcement. You are not to head to your classrooms.”

With no other option, the two girls made their way to the auditorium. 

Yoshiko spotted Satoko towards the front and made her way over to her, Chie following behind. They briefly greeted each other and watched the stage started to fill with staff. As more students began to fill in, what was once relatively quiet became loud and noisy till the only thing Yoshiko could hear was gossip.

“I wonder what this announcement is about,” Chie murmured, only Yoshiko and Satoko able to hear her. Satoko looked unsure while Yoshiko opted to stay silent. She didn’t know to put it into words, but she had a feeling of dread that wasn’t going to dissipate anytime soon. It only seemed to grow if anything. It didn't mean anything. Yoshiko really hoped it didn’t mean anything.

The squeak of the microphone brought silence over the auditorium. Everyone’s attention turned to the stage. The vice principal’s eyes scanned the crowd of students. Yoshiko wasn’t entirely sure, but she could see hidden emotion in her eyes, but she couldn’t recognize. It was close tension. Giving the stage to the principle, he stepped up to the podium. His face was sickly pale, “I…” he took a breath, “I regret to say that I have a terrible announcement for all of you. One of our third-year students, Ms. Saki Konishi of Class 3… has passed away.” 

Yoshiko’s blood turned ice-cold.

Saki-senpai… she’s dead?

No, no she couldn’t have. Saki-senpai was just here. Yoshiko just spoke to her a few days ago. She hasn’t been at school, sure, but there’s no way she was dead, right? Right? 

Oh God, she was going to be sick.

“Yoshiko?” she could faintly hear Chie saying, but she couldn’t respond. The principal talked a little, but Yoshiko heard nothing. All that echoed in her head was Saki and anything that could prove them wrong. The feeling of sickness came back, prompting the girl to cover her mouth. At the principal’s dismissal, Yoshiko was one of the first people out of the room. Diving into the nearest bathroom, Yoshiko laid hunched over the sink, breathing heavy and heart beating loud in her ears. She wrapped her arms around herself, a harsh trembling going through her whole body, as she used all her strength to keep her knees from buckling. Yoshiko’s never felt this way before, this body-wrecking devastation. She couldn’t breathe, let alone speak, and tears were beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.

The creaky sound of the bathroom door opening only caused her to turn away and further tightening her arms around her still hunched body, “I’m fine,” she said on reflex “I’ll be out in a second.” The footsteps moved closer, Yoshiko stepping away while still avoiding eye-contact. “Yoshiko, it’s just me,”

Yoshiko’s eyes widen, before swallowing the anxiety she felt, “Oh, Satoko. Hey.” Her voice felt rough and she avoided looking at Satoko directly. “How did you find me?”  
Satoko tried to put her hand on Yoshiko’s shoulder, but she involuntarily flinched. “You rushed out of the auditorium and this was the closest place you could have gone.”  
“Right…” Yoshiko turned back around so that she was facing the mirror, “ Just give me a moment. I’ll catch up with you and Chie.”  
“Yoshiko-”  
“I’m… I’m fine. I just need a minute, Satoko. Please.”  
Yoshiko took a side glance at the girl. She looked reluctant to leave. Yoshiko nodded her head. Satoko gave her one last look and left out of the bathroom, 

Yoshiko was all alone in the wooden bathroom.

She watched the door settle shut before turning on the cold water in the sink. Gathering a clear pool of water into her cupped hands, Yoshiko splashed her face two, three times with the more lukewarm, rather than cold, water. The last few minutes were hitting her hard, one after another. 

Saki… Saki-senpai was-

She was just here. They were talking a few days ago. Saki was breathing, smiling, alive, and now… Saki-senpai was gone. Why her? Saki-senpai was the nicest person she knew, why did she of all people had to die? Were the problems she was already dealing with not enough? Was dying in the most horrific and degrading way Yoshiko could think of (not that she wanted to think about) really necessary? 

Just thinking about it in her new clarity caused her vision to blur and burn with repressed tears. Rubbing them away did very little to soften the pain, but it was passable for the moment. In the darkness her closed eyes granted her, Yoshiko’s brain started to once again think about the last few days.

There’s was just so much. The T.V world, the announcer woman, the Midnight Channel, the figure… that looked exactly like Saki. Yoshiko’s eyes widened upon her epiphany. This couldn’t be a coincidence, not in the slightest of a chance. There just had to be a connection. The Midnight Channel and the TV world had something to do Saki-senpai, she just knew it, and Yoshiko had a feeling that bear knew something about all of this.

Rubbing any remaining red and wetness from her eyes and straightening her back, Yoshiko steeled herself. With a goal set, Yoshiko headed out of the bathroom, purpose in her steps and determination in her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, 2 chapters in a relatively short amount of time. Amazing.  
> This chapter's a little longer compared to usual ones, and I'm mostly content with how things panned out.  
> Updates may slow cause finals examinations and crunch time for studying;;; But, it hopefully won't last too long.  
> (and yes the title is a Danganronpa reference.)


	6. A  Trip Through the TV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yoshiko, are you sure about this?” Chie asked again. Yoshiko nodded as she tightening the rope around waist, “Positive. The T.V world has to be connected to this, Chie. We can’t just leave this alone.”

“Yoshiko, are you sure about this?” Chie asked again. Yoshiko nodded as she tightening the rope around waist, “Positive. The T.V world has to be connected to this, Chie. We can’t just leave this alone.”

“And you think you’ll be safe in there w-with just a golf club?!” Chie aggressively pointed to the club. Yoshiko looked down at it resting in her hands. “I mean, it’s a 9-iron. They’re pretty strong, I think. Besides, it’s better than nothing.” Chie only looked more exasperated at her explanation. She obviously wasn’t going to go for her plan, so, Yoshiko looked to Satoko instead. She was quiet since her and Chie arrived. Her face was stoic, but it felt as if Satoko was just observing.

Chie harshly stomping her foot against the linoleum floor brought Yoshiko’s attention back to her. “What about coming back? Did you even think that could get stuck in there?” “That’s what the rope is for.” She lifted the tailend of the rope in her hand and tugged on it. The other half was tied tightly around her waist, “I always have a plan, Chie.” Yoshiko winked.

Chie opened her mouth but closed it again. Mouth in a straight line, she looked at her with an even look.The exasperation and anger from earlier were replaced with anxiousness. Yoshiko dropped her smile and sighed. There was nothing else she could do but to be honest with her. If they couldn’t agree with each other, Yoshiko hoped she would at least understand. “I have to do this, Chie. That world in the tv… It can’t be ignored, especially if it has something to do with Saki-senpai. I can’t ignore. Satoko, you understand, right?” It felt mean to just put her on the spot like that, but dammit she needed to know how she felt.

“I admit,” her voice was steady and secure. “I didn’t like being in there either, Chie. But,” Satoko’s eyes flickered to her. Yoshiko suppressed a shiver at the certainty in her eyes. “Yoshiko might be right about this. It couldn’t hurt to check it out.” Chie still didn’t look convinced. “I’ll go with her. Is that fine, Yoshiko?” The brunette nodded, “Yeah, better than going alone,” she winked at her.

Chie still didn’t look convinced, but relented with a muttered, “fine.” Yoshiko tossed her the end of the rope. “When I tug, just pull us out. It’s foolproof.” Yoshiko ignored the look Chie sent her and stepped one foot into the tv. 

“Here we go.”

++  
The landing wasn’t any less painful than the first time. In fact, it may have been worst because she expected it. Yoshiko rubbed her head and slowly stood up. Satoko seemed to have had a rough landing too, judging by her rough groan of pain as she stood. 

“It’s you two again!” a high pitched voice rung out, seemingly echoing. 

“Yeah, it’s us, and we need to ask you some questions.” The animal… thing vigorously shook his head. “Nuh-uh. I’m not answering your questions until you answer mine! Afterall, you’re both still beary suspicious!”   
He glared at the both of them. Yoshiko could hear Satoko let out a quiet cough of a laugh. A glance at her face showed a small smile before flickering back to the face of neutrality. ‘Huh...’ Yoshiko thought.

The bear--somehow-- furrowed his brows and glared at them. It was hard to see him as intimidating seeing as how he was just a giant plush toy “Strange things have been happening here, and they just so happened to have started when you showed up!” Teddie declared. The moment the words let his mouth, his face changed to one of sudden realization. “So you’re behind this!”  
Yoshiko and Satoko shared a look before Yoshiko took a step forward,   
“What the hell are you talking about?”He looked her right in the eyes with an “intimidating” glare, “You’re the reason people are being thrown into the tv!” 

Yoshiko let out a harsh scoff and glared back at, “We have nothing to do with that!” Yoshiko shouted back. Satoko murmured a quiet, “That’s a strong accusation…” next to her. Honestly it was impressive how calm Satoko has been this whole time. She stopped focusing on her for a second and went back to the damn bear. “There’s no way either of us could have thrown anyone in here! Besides, this place is way to dangerous. Someone could-” she cut herself off. 

Yoshiko felt the two pairs of eyes looking at her, both quiet at her sudden silence. Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, Yoshiko swayed a bit as she thought out loud, “Could it be? Someone is trying to kill people by tossing them in here, but why and how do they know about this place…?”

The bear snapped her out of her thoughts, again, and started rambling on and on about them being suspicious. The only things that popped out to her was the fact that there was no way to get out of here without his help--and finding out her rope plan failed-- and that there’s a murderer tossing people into the bear’s home. He then burst into tears begging for their help. Seeing the mascot looking bear crying felt so uncomfortable. Yoshiko looked to Satoko for help, but she seemed to be elsewhere. She looked deep in thought. Yoshiko crossed her arms over her chest.

“Okay, okay,” she groaned, “We’ll help. We’re kinda in the dark about this place anyways, and if finding the culprit solves the murders and helps you with your home, than we’ll do it.” ‘Not that you’re giving us a choice’ was left unsaid. Satoko crouched down in front of the bear, “We promise. We’ll do whatever it takes.” Her promise made the bear sniffle and blabber out a “thank you!.” “Since we’re working together now,” Yoshiko chimed back in, “we should probably introduce ourselves. I’m Yoshiko Hanamura, and this is my friend Satoko Seta.” 

“I’m Teddie!” Of course that’s his name.

“Nice to meet you,” Satoko replied.

“So, where should we start?”  
++

 

It was easier to see now with the glasses Teddie gave them. Orange frames really suited her. Black glasses on Satoko just seemed to complete her look. “Hey, Satoko, do you wear glasses?” She asked, hoping to ease any tension as Teddie lead them to- wherever he was taking them, honestly.

“I used too, but I had to change to contacts.”

“Lost your glasses too much, huh?”

Satoko didn’t respond. Yoshiko didn’t push it. If she didn’t want to talk about it, Yoshiko wasn’t going to bother her about it. Instead, she focused ahead, eyeing the surrounding areas. It was empty yet filled with white noise. Even with her new glasses clearing things up, everything still had a haze to it. She could just make out a few buildings--or some kind of structure-- in the distance. How could anyone live here? How could someone as colorful and bright as Teddie live in place like this?

“Here we are!” Teddie cheered, Yoshiko nearly ran into him. He motioned towards--Oh come on.

The Konishi Liquor Store. She’s only been there once, but it’s easy to recognize. “So, what now?” Satoko looked to the entrance of the building, “We go in, I suppose. Here,” Yoshiko handed Satoko the golf club, “I’m gonna get a closer look.” She stood in front of the entrance to the Liquor store. Instead of the normal door, a swirling portal with a dim red glow stood in its place. It illuminated her face with a crimson glow. She couldn’t hear anything on the other side. Despite its intimidating presence, she felt pulled to it, or pulled to whatever was beyond it. “Teddie are you sure this--hey, are you okay?.” 

Teddie still stood distance away, but he was shaking violently. “S-shadows… T-they’re here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, this was a difficult chapter to write for some reason... But nonetheless, it's posted. The next chapter might not come for awhile, but I'll try to keep the updates at least somewhat close to each other.
> 
> If you wanna talk fem souyo and ask me about this au, my twitter is [ right here.](https://twitter.com/prince_luikun)
> 
> Thanks for supporting my work!

**Author's Note:**

> I've never posted a story on here before, so I'm really excited about this.  
> I've been interested in a fem!souyo fic due to seeing so much about it on Twitter. Posting chapters may become spotty, but I few chapters have already been started on or nearly finished, so all I have to focus on is editing and proof-reading.  
> I don't have a beta reader and I tend to accidentally look over mistakes, so if I make one, please let me known and I'll fix it.  
> Tags will be added as the story progresses.


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